Recently, automatic developing machines (referred to hereinafter as automatic processors) have become widely used for development processing of silver halide photosensitive materials. There are various types of automatic processor, but this invention is concerned with automatic processors which include at least the functions of development, fixing, washing and drying.
The latest trend is for rapid development processing of photosensitive materials. For example, there is an increasing necessity for rapid processing of graphic arts sensitive materials, X-ray sensitive materials, scanner sensitive materials and sensitive materials which are used for recording CRT images. Moreover, demands have arisen for a reduction in the volume of waste processing liquids (developer and fixer) which have been used in development processing from the standpoint of environmental protection. It is necessary to reduce the replenishment rates which are used when processing photosensitive materials in order to reduce the amounts of these waste processing liquids.
However, the fixing properties in the fixing process are adversely affected as the processing speed increases and as the rate of replenishment of the fixer is reduced. Moreover, when larger amounts of thiosulfate from the processing bath remain in the sensitive material, the storage properties of the image tend to be adversely affected. Further, if sensitizing dyes which have been added to the sensitive material are not washed out satisfactorily, the sensitive material has an unwanted residual coloration after processing.
Combinations of developers in which aldehyde film hardening agents are used and fixers in which aluminum salt film hardening agents are used are employed for development processing of normal X-ray photosensitive materials (for example, see JP-A-1-158439). (The term "JP-A" as used herein signifies an "unexamined Japanese patent publication".) Aluminum salt film hardening .agents have a stronger film hardening effect at lower pH levels and so in the past the fixer and fixer replenisher pH values have been set in such a way that the pH of the fixer is maintained at from 4.0 to 4.5, and the replenishment rate has also been controlled.
However, there is a strong odor due to sulfur dioxide gas and acetic acid gas with fixers where pH is low, and there is considerable corrosion of the automatic processor and peripheral equipment. This is not consistent with the approach of using an automatic processor in an ordinary room and not a specially designed room.